Critter homes are heaven right here.

 

Richard and I have been enjoying our backyard. The weather has been beautiful, though it is warming up somewhat. Lunch is generally a sandwich and fruit under the catalpa trees. There are two in our yard. They give deep, dark shade. See the red chair? That's my retirement rocker from BHS. Next to it are a green table that Rich made for me and his old green chair from the camper. 

This electrical pole is near the slough, or small lake, on the side of our house. The woodpeckers have made several large holes, which other birds have claimed for homes. Of course, Richard has several bird houses and as many feeders. The birds regal us with their chatter and song while we eat and several times they've given us a show. I especially love to watch the fledglings leave the nest.

The slough is home to ducks, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, turtles, frogs and any other wildlife you can imagine. The owls screech and hoot all night. The woodpeckers tap all day. And we enjoy every bit of it.

One nest that will soon have fledglings is this swallow nest that the parents decided to build on our front porch. Most people would discourage them from making such a mess, but we enjoyed watching them build and are now enjoying seeing the proud parents feed two mouths all day long. Back and forth, the poor things first carried mud and straw to build, now they come and go carrying worms and insects. I'm not sure which has been more work. 

This old boat, the SS Hershey because it was originally chocolate brown, sits on the edge of the slough as a reminder of when the boys were still young. William built it in shop class, and the three of them paddled it around every cypress tree in that slough. Finally they hit one cypress stump too many, tore a hole in it, and sank it. They used their dad's new four wheeler to draw it up on the bank and there it sits. It's a great home for several critters, most of whom I give a wide berth. 

This fella lives near the back window. We've watched him chase the hummingbirds for about two months. Thus far they've proven too fast, but he is persistent. Right below his perch is one of five feeders, but he's also trekked back and forth on the cable wire where the hummers love to perch. Now that they are nesting, we don't see as much of them or him, but they'll be back out soon. And there you have it: our little piece of heaven which we gladly share with the flying, crawling, slithering animals who enjoy it as much as we do.

Pin It Weekly #315

Welcome back! It's time to meet a few followers. Say hello to 
Bella Larreategui. 

And hello to Saniye Kaya. Does it get cuter than this board? I don't imagine.

And finally, hello Kris. Check out this calligraphy....

Have a great week, everyone! Stay safe and stay home.

Pin It Weekly #314

Birds and butterflies and bats, oh my! Houses and houses and houses... 

Do you have a bird or bird house board? Let me help you find more pins. You can find these and about 100 more pins in my "bird house feeder nest" board.

Meet the Hummers

Sitting on Millie's chair which had
been put outdoors temporarily.

Richard has been feeding the birds again. Well, he never really stopped. But he's now feeding them to keep them safe from hunters. You see, dove season has begun. 

Doves on the barbeque pit? Not a little ironic, right?

For someone who was a hunter, he sure is working hard to keep his fat doves happy at home. With no intention of shooting them himself, of course.

Two of the four feeders at Will and Stacey's house

And then there are the hummers. We apparently live along the flight path of migrating hummingbirds. A couple of weeks ago we got a Facebook video from our oldest son. He's holding two hummingbird feeders in his hands while the birds are swarming him and eating from the feeders. 

Only six in this grainy picture.

Richard has been outdone! He is now filling the feeders several times a day. The one just outside the kitchen window needs sugar water at least four or five times daily. I think I heard him talking to them, but I won't swear to it. 

My job in all of this, you ask? Well, I get to enjoy the birds. Song birds regale me as I walk through the yard. The doves coo when I sit in my favorite chair in the shade. And I can stand at my kitchen window and enjoy the antics of those flighty little hummers. They are something to see. I take pictures upon pictures, but I can't seem to catch them doing something really funny. 

This feeder is just outside my kitchen
window. I can watch the hummers
incognito while standing at my sink.

I saw one stand on another's back and both drink from the same spout. A female somehow poked her beak into the crack along the top of the feeder where the lid is screwed on and flew around the feeder sucking the sugar water from the crack as she went. She did not break stride or have to right herself. How do they not get dizzy? I get vertiginous just watching them!

They are interesting little fliers. Too bad they've already begun moving to more southerly homes. Almost all those territorial males have left, so the females are gearing up for their flight. Richard has devious plans for next summer. Will and Stacey had better stock up on sugar!